Recently, I spent a few hours researching Charlotte Area Listings to get a gauge on how many Real Estate Agents are making use of full motion video (specific findings in a previous blog post). The quick answer is, not many.
What I did find surprised me! Over 3/4 of the agents that ARE taking advantage of their own produced Video Tours and slide shows are using copyrighted music from famous artists as a backdrop for their work.
AGENTS --- DO NOT do this! Even though you think that "Carolina on my mind" by James Taylor makes for a perfect backdrop to a Carolina home --- resist the urge to use this [copyrighted] music. I'm sure the agents doing it don't have a clue they are doing anything wrong but they could be getting a call from a record label attorney.
The solution for this is to do a Google Search for "Royalty Free Music" and go to one of the sites to get your music. Now, I will warn you - this is a time consuming process. If you are diligent, you will have to cull through hours (if not days) of music to find just the right songs you like to set as the backdrop to your tours. Then - you have to pay (yes - PAY) for the music. And it's not cheap. One song can cost you 15-50 bucks. BUT --- Once you buy the music, you are free to use it (even for commercial purposes) and you won't have an angry record label attorney on your phone.
At Amazing Video Tours we only use royalty free music for our Realtor and seller clients. We have spent days on these royalty free sites picking out just the right music for each home we do a video on. We don't want to get sued - and we certainly don't want our clients getting sued. You shouldn't either! Good luck making those videos. If you get frustrated --- call us!
I want to [quickly] build a website for a fellow Realtor who lost her battle with cancer yesterday. My goal is to have a community place where anyone can go to the site, sign a Guest Book with their thoughts, post photos, and interact in a Facebook kind of way (but not use facebook).
Can anyone point me in the direction of a website provider who offers Guest book and photo upload possiblilities (for guests in addition to the webmaster) with an easy to use, WYSIWYG interface as I am not a web programmer. I would really appreciate it.
I also want to incorporate a PayPal function where people can make donations in the name of the trust set up for her children.
Thanks so much for any help anyone can provide.
I am working on a presentation on "Why Video" for a local Real Estate Agency tomorrow so I took the time (several hours) to look at a random sampling of 1000 listings for sale in the Charlotte, NC area. Here is a summary of my findings:
I emphasize the word "real" because there are many people who like to use the word "video" when all they are offering is a static photo slide show set to music. There were a few more of these offerings as follows:
It just goes to show how untapped this method of marketing homes is. I am convinced that as more agents use (and get better at) full motion video, and as sellers start to ask for it - full motion video will become the norm.
I conducted this research another time back in January, 2008 but didn't have the foresight to write down the statistics. As I recall back then, I only found 1 full motion video in all the listings I checked (which was several hundred, but not quite 1000).
Bottom line: Full Motion Video ---- It's coming --- be ready for it, or find a vendor who already is.
According to the National Association of Realtors, "Over 86% of home buyers start their home search on the internet." Amazing Video Tours is proud to fill a niche in the ever changing Web 2.0 world for the newest means of selling Real Estate.
According to Wikipedia, "Web 2.0 describes the changing trends in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aim to enhance creativity that have led to blogs, social networking sites, and VIDEO SHARING SITES".
If you've been on the web at all lately, you know that video is taking over the Internet. As our ISP's (Internet Service Providers) get faster and bandwidth gets served up quicker than ever, video will dominate the Internet. If you have any doubts, check out YouTube, Google Video, Yahoo Video, Meta Cafe, My Space, Wellcomemat, or Zipvo. This list just scratches the surface of free video hosting sites around the globe.
But back to Real Estate. The market has changed. You might say, "duh", but the way properties are being marketed on the Internet has not changed at all. For 99% of homes for sale, its still just photos and distorted spinning top 360 virtual tours. Those 360 virtual tours used to set a listing apart, but now most top agents use them, and technology has dated them. Plus there's more inventory on the market and homes are sitting longer. Home sellers and their agents are going to need to change the way they market their homes to stand out in a growing inventory, and to tap into Web 2.0.
Currently, less then 1% of homes are marketed via full motion video, and WE understand why. Shooting full motion video is HARD! If you've ever tried to make a video, you know how aggravating it can be. Difficult lighting situations, a shaky camera, and needless zooming all can make for unsettled viewers.
Marketing a property utilizing video is equally challenging. Light (or lack of it) is the camera operators worst enemy and if you don't get it under control, you end up producing a video that does more harm then good in marketing the home. At Amazing Video Tours, we've mastered the art of using video to market homes. In addition, our web team can get your full motion video home tour marketed on over 10 video sites, blogs, and by use of other Web 2.0 technology.
And for the Agents, what a way to differentiate yourself from the pack! When potential home seller's see that you are willing to market their home in a way that the other 99% of agents have not embraced yet, you'll get more listings, and increased exposure will help to sell your listings faster. Remember, excitement about your listings leads to more listings which leads to more sign calls, and it mushrooms from there. And that's just the beginning. When we post your full motion video tours to the video sites, we use the "tags" to market you, the agent! If you know anything about SEO, you know that references/linkbacks to your website will help you in the chase to page 1 of the search engines. Your old fashion 360 Virtual Can't do that!
In conclusion, video represents the next evolution of internet home sales. Spinning top 360 virtual tours are nice, but they distort the rooms, and dont give you a true indication of the flow (of a home) from one room to another. We invite you to visit our website at AmazingVideoTours.com and dig a little deeper (samples etc) to see how a full motion video tour of your home can really differentiate you in this tough marketplace.
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Amazing Video Tours offers full motion video marketing solutions to Realtors, and other individuals with property to sell, lease, or rent.
Amazing Video Tours offers full motion video marketing solutions to Realtors, and other individuals with property to sell, lease, or rent. A departure from the old fashion 360 Virtual Tour, Amazing Video Tours takes online property marketing to the next level.
Amazing Video Tours is based out of Fort Mill, SC but we serve Tega Cay, Lake Wylie, Charlotte, Lake Norman, The Ballantyne Area, Myers Park, Weddington, Waxhaw, Rock Hill, Clover, and many other areas in and around Charlotte.
The most important reason is to make you, and the property being marketed, stand out above all the competition. The ability to tell your clients that you utilize a cutting edge marketing technology that 99% of agents have not embraced yet is going to elevate you to the top of their list. They'll be blown away when they see their home in an Amazing Video Tour with ...YOUR Name, YOUR Brand, YOUR Company Logo, YOUR Contact Info, and YOUR Website are all advertised on our "Branded" player. We do all the work, you take all the credit (and the leads)!
The bottom line is - the more buzz there is about your listings, the more attention they'll get, the more showings you'll get, the quicker they'll sell, and the more money you'll have in your pocket. Don't forget that excitement about your listings will also lead to MORE LISTINGS!
Why use us over anyone else, or trying to do it yourself???That's the easiest decision of all. Just check out the videos on our blog. We believe our work speaks for itself. But if you need more reasons, here are a few:
1. Our Videographer/Photographer is a licensed Realtor in both NC and SC with Supra ekey access. As a licensed Realtor, he can call CSS to make the appointment and let himself in the home to do all the work. Think of what a huge time saver that will be for you. You don't have to take time out of your busy schedule to drive to the listing and let him in and wait impatiently for him to get the job done. It takes 2-3 hours (at the house) to do all the video and photography. Not only do you not have to show up when we do the video/photo shoot, you can be out doing what you do best - Selling Real Estate! Even better, take the afternoon off! So, how much is your time worth? We can actually save you money!
2. Our Equipment - Our Photographer uses only high quality Nikon DSLR equipment, Nikkor lenses, and Adobe professional post production software. Our Videographer uses a Professional Grade 1080i (High Definition) 3CCD Camcorder and Adobe professional post production software. No point and shoot camera or ANY consumer video camera on the market can compare! None of this means a thing unless it streams (that is, works) for the end user. Our videos are all hosted on a ultra fast dedicated server. The server is maintained 24/7/365 by professional staff. Oh yeah, and that's expensive too! Yet another thing YOU don't have to worry about!
3. Our Commitment - We are so sure you and your clients are going to love your Amazing Video Tour so much that if you are not satisfied, the next Amazing Video Tour is on us!
4. Video is HARD! - If you've ever tried to make a video, you know how aggravating it can be. Difficult lighting situations, a shaky camera, and needless zooming all can make for unsettled viewers. Marketing a property utilizing video is equally challenging. Light (or lack of it) is the camera operators worst enemy and if you don't get it under control, you end up producing a video that does more harm then good in marketing the home. At Amazing Video Tours, we've mastered the art of using video to market homes.
At Amazing Video Tours, we take our photography and video very seriously. We realize that only the best production possible will satisfy our clients (Realtors, Builders, and home sellers). That's why we work so hard to produce only top quality HD video, use Royalty Free Music, and have professional voiceovers. The three elements combine for a...... well, ..... Amazing production.
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